The teachings of Philip G. Roets & Lois Roets
The Gospels, Acts, Letters, and Conclusion
Biblical Exegesis and Commentary by Philip G. Roets STL SSL
The New Testament (NT) answers the question "Who Is God?" by building on the Old Testament writings. The NT answers the question through the life of Jesus and his contemporaries up to about 125 A.D. The writings of the New Testament are not in chronological order. I shall treat them in the sequence they appear in the present collections (Bible).
In Matthew, God is often explained by parables and beatitudes. There are many ideas that could be stressed for our purposes. However, I will point out only two: (1) Happiness and how to attain it in our daily life, developed in the "Beatitudes" and the "Sermon on the Mount." (2) The "Kingship of the Heavens" developed through a series of parables.
The famous Sermon on the Mountain parallels the Old Testament picture of Moses going up on the mountain to get the Old Law. Jesus was concerned with one idea in all this collection. True happiness was not going to be found by running away from the world of daily life. True happiness was found in day-to-day living by the people in the REAL WORLD. This idea was presented in the Beatitudes.
The principal notion of this happiness is to establish the KINGSHIP OF THE HEAVENS. How do we do this? We establish this Kingship by living our own convictions in daily life and leading others by word and example to do the same. This Kingship is a personal power that is found inside and outside the follower of Jesus, and in the society in which he lives.
In the Gospel according to Mark, God is the Good News for the world. God is the Good News that firmly establishes the hope that is in us. This Gospel was preached by Peter in Rome. Mark had become Peter's companion some time after he left the company of Barnabas.
Mark's Gospel is the closest chronologically to the original message of Jesus and best represents Peter's understanding. This gospel is only a few steps beyond the Kerygma, or the summary presentation that the new convert was expected to know and accept before he/she was admitted into the Church and baptized. Therefore, Mark should be studied carefully for the basics of Christ's message.
Luke shows us God as the source of salvation in every sense of this word. Salvation is health: physical, mental, and spiritual. God is the savior, the source of health in every circumstance of daily life.
Luke was the companion of Paul, first as his medical doctor and then as his missionary companion. There is no doubt that Paul was a difficult man to tolerate. He was opinionated, hot-tempered, and not above blaming others for his mistakes. He was easily offended and depressed as a result. Add to this, he had some kind of physical ailment for which he needed constant treatment. Many guesses have been hazarded as to what this sickness was. No one is certain.
Luke was a wonderful counteraction to this fiery disposition of Paul. We know Luke edited some of the letters of Paul and most scholars think Luke edited all the letters but was unable to remove all the harshness and still retain the basic message.
Luke's presentation of Christ's teaching stresses several viewpoints: Salvation is universal — Jew and Gentile are saved if they cooperate. Luke stressed the power and importance of prayer and its true meaning. Luke emphasized the dignity and importance of women in the society that Jesus was establishing. Luke pointed out the way in which happiness could be found in the midst of poverty. In Luke, God is savior because of his concern and care for every person in all circumstances of life.
John's main understanding of God was his love as a Father for his children. This love should be understood, appreciated and duplicated in the lives of people. Explicit statements of this truth are found in many places in the first letter of John.
"God is love and anyone who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." 1 Jn. 4:16.
"In love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love; because fear is to expect punishment and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love. We are to love, then, because he loved us first." 1 Jn. 4:18. The word for "perfect" in this passage is "teleios," that is — "complete in every detail."
"Anyone who says 'I love God' but hates his brother, is a liar since a person who does not love the brother whom he can see, cannot love God whom he has never seen. Therefore, this is the commandment that was given us: anyone who loves God must also love his brother." 1 Jn. 4:20–21.
The Gospel according to John is the last writing of the New Testament. It appeared in its present form about 125 A.D. and was traced to John. John was in his early teens, 13 or 14, at the time he was called by Jesus to be one of the twelve. He and his brother James were referred to as "Boanerges" or "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus himself. This means that they were "movers and shakers" right from the start.
John fits his gospel story into the whole work of creation by using exactly the same words of introduction as those used in Genesis. John starts off with the phrase "IN THE BEGINNING." Then he gave a brilliant summary of the whole work of creation down to the birth of Jesus. He stressed that Jesus, by his life, was the fulness of this creative Word of the Father and was his special Son.
Jesus, by his life, manifested the Fatherhood of God more fully than ever before. Instead of following the brilliant picture that John set before us, the theologians for centuries got into a useless hassle about the divine nature of Jesus and the three persons in one God. This distracting philosophy effectively hid the picture that John was painting.
The fullest description of love and all that it entails is found in John's account of the Last Supper. John introduced the whole event with the statement that it was the greatest manifestation of Jesus' "love eis telos — love to completion."
John described Jesus taking a basin of water and going from apostle to apostle to wash feet. When he came to Peter, this apostle created a scene. He said that Jesus would never wash his feet. Jesus said simply, "If I don't wash your feet, then you do not eat here, tonight." Immediately Peter goes to the opposite extreme. He invited Jesus to wash not only his feet but his face and hands as well.
Jesus replied, "That is not necessary. For him who is clean, only washing the feet is necessary." This ceremony referred to the custom of arriving at a house and the host met you with a servant and a basin of water. The servant untied the sandals. The guest stepped into the basin of water and the servant washed his feet. The dust of travel was removed. At the Last Supper, Jesus took on the task of the lowliest household servant to show how far his love extended and how far the love of his followers for each other was to go.
When Jesus reclined at table, again he told the lesson explicitly. He called them "His children." "A new commandment I give you: Love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that you are my committed followers in the love that you have for each other." John 13:33–35.
Then, in chapters 14–17, Jesus expressed some of his most basic and profound doctrine. He stressed that he, by his example, was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He told them that if they lived according to his teachings, especially in their love for each other, they would do even greater works than he had done. This would all be accomplished by the new creative Breath that they would receive from the Father after Jesus was gone.
We get John's version of the Lord's Prayer in chapter 17. Each element was developed, and Jesus stressed that his followers would not be merely asking in his name. Rather, the Father loved them because they loved Jesus. Therefore, they could ask the Father for anything and he would answer their requests because of his love for them.
The most important aspect of this prayer is the unity and community that is to be established among his followers and through them in the whole world. The love of Christians for each other is to be so powerful that it will change the whole world into the brotherhood of mankind.
This is clearly the apex of the picture of who God is. This part of the picture should clearly be read last because all else led up to it. However there are several writings that must still be considered to pick up the bits and pieces that lead up to this overall picture.
Acts is a collection of stories about the early days of the Christian community after the Ascension of Jesus to the Father. This took place about the year 30 A.D. The book ends before the deaths of Peter and Paul which were in 67 A.D. The events in Acts cover about 35 years.
The first part of Acts is the picture of Peter — his work and contacts. The second part is mainly the work of Paul in his missionary activity. The general theme of the whole book is given in a summary in c. 2:42–47. The group was held together by four elements: (1) teaching of the apostles, (2) sharing (Greek word — koinonia), (3) breaking of the bread, and (4) prayers.
The people freely brought everything they owned and put it at the disposal of the whole group. The needs of each person were supplied from the common purse. They went as a group every day to the Temple to pray and then back to their houses for the breaking of the bread. Remember, this was a very small group and could be easily managed in this way.
The notion of God stressed in Acts is the brotherhood of all mankind because of the Fatherhood of God. This was lived by those first Christians and was to change the whole world by contact.
Saul of Tarsus was an adamant persecutor of this new group of Jews who followed Jesus and his teachings. Luke told us in Acts that Saul was in charge of the killing of the first Christian witness or martyr, named Stephen. Then Saul was converted and becomes an ardent follower. He was just as ardent a warrior for Christ as he had been against him, a short time before.
Paul made three or four missionary trips through the Roman world and stopped at various centers to talk about Jesus and his teachings. He made converts and set up small Christian communities. Problems arose after he was gone and he handled these by letter. We have thirteen of these letters in the canon of the New Testament.
The key notion of this letter comes from a misunderstanding. Paul had talked about the second coming of Jesus when he had converted these people. Paul thought the preaching of the gospel to the whole world would be accomplished in his lifetime. Everyone would be given a chance to choose for or against Jesus. Then would follow the Parousia or the second coming of Jesus, the end of the world and eternal happiness for those who followed Jesus faithfully.
Some of the Thessalonian Christians had died and the Parousia had not taken place. What was going to happen to these people in the second coming of Jesus? Paul admitted he did not have the answer but he was certain that no one is going to lose out. Gradually, the notion of the resurrection of all the dead, the public judgment and final reward developed. However, these ideas were not clearly understood at the time.
The topic was the Parousia, itself. The Christians in Thessalonika led a community life. They expected the Parousia within a few years, certainly in their lifetime. They had a lot of supplies in the common treasury, so several of the able-bodied were loafing around, living off the common supplies, and waiting for the final coming.
The working people complained about these parasites. Paul did not settle the theological problem but he did settle the practical social difficulty. He laid down the rule: No work, no eat! Regardless of when this Parousia takes place, everyone is to work for his daily bread and contribute to the common supplies. God expects you to do your share.
The Greeks in Corinth were in the habit of inviting every new teacher to step up and expound his ideas. They did not intend to accept them or follow the conclusions but they would listen. It was a kind of forerunner to the daytime dramas on modern television.
Paul accepted the offer and taught about Jesus and his ideas. He made many converts and went to the next place. Soon, he was getting reports of all kinds of disturbances among the Christians in Corinth.
There were factions based on which one of the teachers had converted them. There were discussions about the validity of the teachings themselves and the miracles that backed up the teaching. They were making special comparisons between the wisdom of the Greeks and the so-called wisdom of the Nazarene.
Paul left no doubt in anyone's mind as to what he thought about these discussions. Then Paul treated some moral problems. Some of the fertility cult practices were being mixed in with the Christian worship.
There were some of the converts from Judaism who were terribly upset at the eating of "unclean" foods. They had brought their lists and practices over from their Jewish background. Paul said there was no such thing as unclean food. However, if it bothered someone if you ate a certain food, don't eat it in their presence. Avoid the problem and eat something else.
There was the question of marriage and virginity. Paul said that both were holy states. Each person must live according to the state that appeals most to him/her.
Much of the food sold in the open market had first been offered to the gods in the pagan ritual. Could Christians buy and eat such food? Paul said the idols were nothing and therefore the food was not contaminated. However, if this point was being stressed to bring out a theological bias, then buy your food somewhere else.
The problem of public prayer went back to Jewish customs. Men were not to pray or prophesy with their heads covered. Women were not to pray or prophesy with their heads uncovered. It was a custom. So they were not to offend others over such a silly small point.
Then came an even worse problem. People were coming to the Lord's Supper and drank or ate too much because it was free. Paul told them if they had no more control of themselves, to eat and drink at home — away from everyone else.
Finally, the Corinthians argued about which were the greater gifts in the community: preaching, teaching, healing, prophecy, miracles, tongues. Paul was close to the end of his string. He said this was silly as all gifts are good. The greatest gift of all: love for each other.
Chapter 13 is one of the most famous of all the Pauline writings. It is his description of the qualities of true love for each other. Love is the only quality that really counts and really lasts. All other good deeds without love are so much dross. Love gives them their true meaning.
God is love. Love is patient and kind; never jealous, conceited, or boastful; never rude or selfish; it does not take offence and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth. Love is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love is unending. Of these three, faith, hope and love, the greatest is love.
Second Corinthians is not quite as forceful as the first letter. Paul took up his own defense as Christians in Corinth were making fun of Paul. So Paul offered an apologia, explanation, for his life.
The letter to the Galatians is also a polemic letter. The main topic is the power of Christian Faith. Is it enough in itself or must Christians observe the practices of the Old Law in order to be saved?
Paul's answer was clear. "If justice can come through the Law, then Christ died in vain." Paul insisted he lived by his faith in Christ.
The notion of faith is very important here. Faith is an act of the whole person. Faith means I UNDERSTAND what is said and done. I am CONVINCED by what I hear and see. I am COMMITTED to my convictions. I CARRY OUT all the duties that flow from these convictions and commitment. Faith is not simply a word of trust or confidence in someone else. Faith is a whole way of life.
The time of the Torah was the time of childhood. The coming of Christ brings us all to the adult stage of our lives. God inspires FAITH.
This letter to the Christian community in Ephesus is a companion of the letter to the Galatians. Galatians was written in a polemic style and the animosity of Paul could not be removed even by the pen of Luke. The letter to the Ephesians is written in a much calmer state of mind and develops the basic ideas of Galatians more fully.
First is the SEVEN-FOLD BLESSING that comes with faith in Jesus Christ: (1) Sonship, (2) Kindness, (3) Wisdom, (4) Truth, (5) Salvation, (6) Good News, (7) Inheritance.
Jews and Gentiles alike needed this salvation in Jesus. All differences, antagonism and opposition have to disappear. No one has any privilege or rights over the others because all are made equal in Jesus. All sin is to be removed from the community but the responsibility rests on the shoulders of each individual.
All salvation starts in the home. Marriage has a new and deeper meaning. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved his Church and give himself totally for her. Out of this dedication comes the respect and obedience of children for their parents. With the home as the solid foundation, the work of Jesus and the Church will succeed.
The Christian is described as a soldier prepared for battle. TRUTH is the belt that holds the whole armor in place. INTEGRITY or JUSTICE is the breastplate. The shoes are EAGERNESS to spread PEACE. The shield is FAITH and the helmet is SALVATION. Clothed in this armor, the Christian works daily to bring the whole world into the Body of Christ. God wants cooperation among all people.
The community of Christians at Philippi were converts of Paul and one of the few groups from whom he accepted financial help. Paul made a couple of his best known remarks in this letter.
Paul longed to be with Jesus in glory. He said: "For me to live is Christ but to die is even more. I am in a quandary: I want to be gone and to be with Christ which would be by far the better. But for me to stay alive in this body is more urgent for your sake." Ph. 1:21–24.
Then there is the famous song of praise to the name of Jesus. "Jesus emptied himself and took on the form of a slave and became as men are. Being in the form of man, he lowered himself even more to death — even to the death of the cross. Now God has raised him on high and given him a name that is above all names. Thus at the name of Jesus every knee in heaven, on earth and under the earth shall bend and every tongue shall proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father." Philippians 2:5–11.
Paul stressed that his one ambition was to portray Jesus Christ in all that he did or said. "All I want to know is Christ and the power of his resurrection, and to share in his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death. This is the way I can hope to take my place in the resurrection of the dead." Philippians 3:10–12.
The Christians in Colossae had fallen into some erroneous thinking of the times. There was a lot of astrology rampant in the Hellenic world. The philosophers talked about the influence of the stars on lives of people and developed rituals and routines that were supposed to appease these "beings" or "gods." In the shuffle of these ideas, some of the Christians began to ask the question about the status of Jesus.
Paul entered the fray. He did not know anything about these astrological ideas and did not really care. He had only one thought that had to remain supreme. Jesus Christ was not a part of these "heavenly beings" and in no way was he subject to them. Jesus Christ was supreme and alone in his rule of the universe because of his obedience to the Father.
The Christians can discuss all these ideas and listen to others but in their own lives the supremacy of Jesus and his plan of life must be accepted totally by them. This Faith must be seen in the kind of lives they live.
Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome is unusual for many reasons. First of all, Paul had not worked with this group. He was writing to them as an outsider and I don't think anyone knows exactly why he was writing the letter. Secondly, this letter is by far the most developed letter from the viewpoint of ideas and style of all the letters of Paul. Thirdly, this letter has certainly given rise to more doctrinal controversy than all the other letters put together.
In fact, the whole Reformation in 1517 A.D. was based on a reading of Romans 1:17. Many theologians at the time of the Council of Trent thought, as did Luther, that a person was justified by Faith. However, when the official teaching of the Council gave such a narrow definition of Biblical faith, difficulty was created. Luther and his followers refused to change their ideas and hence the split took place.
There is no doubt that Faith is all that is needed if the word is understood in the Biblical sense of the word "Amen," which is its Hebrew form. This word means: 1) I understand; 2) I am convinced; 3) I am committed; 4) I am living my commitment. All four notions have to be present in order to be able to say "Amen" or "I believe." Hence, faith is all that is needed for salvation since the very notion includes the conviction and the commitment lived in daily actions.
The theologians had narrowed faith down to a mere intellectual understanding and a person could have theological faith and do nothing about it. Therefore they had to stress the absolute necessity of good works which were already included in the basic word.
The first part of this letter is concerned with the fact that all people, Jew and Gentile, need this salvation from Jesus Christ through faith. The Torah, which the Jews had, was a preparation for the coming of Jesus. It was no longer valid because the reality was here. The Gentiles needed salvation because their cults never did save anyone.
The main part of the letter, doctrinally, is found in chapters 5–8. Here Paul treated successively of the hope that every Christian has because of the death of Jesus Christ and his triumph over death in his resurrection. Then he talked of how the Christian participates in this triumph over death through Baptism. Thirdly, Paul stressed that, in no way, did the Christian have to keep any of the commands or restrictions of the Old Law, unless they are repeated in the New. The Old Law was fulfilled and no longer exists.
Finally, Paul stressed the Spirit that was the gift of Jesus Christ and in which all his followers live. "Everyone led by the spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again. It is the spirit of sons which makes you cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The spirit itself bears testimony to our spirit that we are sons of God. If sons, then heirs: heirs indeed of God and co-heirs of Christ, if we suffer with him so that we may be glorified with him." (Rom. 8:14–17)
That is the whole picture in a few words. Israel is still a privileged people if they fulfill their role as forerunners of Jesus and now accept him. They maintain their place as the firstborn if they accept Jesus for whom they were preparing.
Then Paul stressed how this community sharing (koinonia) among the Christians should make it possible for them to live in harmony among themselves. If someone was weak and bothered by some point of teaching or its application, help that person. If the outsiders cannot understand you, give them time. Realize what you have and be ready to share it.
Many of the problems that exist in our world could so easily be dissolved if the teachings of this letter were lived, today.
Now we come to the last of the letters of Paul. These are often called his PASTORAL letters because he was writing them to the men who continued his work. Two of them are written to TIMOTHY and one to TITUS. These letters were written between years 65 and 67 during the last years of Paul's life. One other letter, PHILEMON, was written at the same time but on a completely different topic.
Philemon was the one in charge of a Christian gathering. He was a convert of Paul and Paul was really leaning on him. The gist of the message is this. Onesimus, a slave who belonged to Philemon, had run away. He was captured and tossed in prison with Paul. While in prison, Paul and he talked together and Onesimus became a Christian. Now Onesimus was being sent back to Philemon.
Paul cannot demand that Philemon set the slave free because, according to Roman law, he was property. However, Paul did lean on Philemon's friendship for him and little debts that he had toward Paul. He expected Philemon to take all this into consideration. Then, to give a final touch, he stressed that he himself would be in Philemon's home soon for a visit. The implication was very clear. Paul would be following up on this letter.
Doctrinally, the letter does contain an important point. Slavery is contrary to Christian freedom. However, the first Christians did not immediately tackle all prevailing social problems at once. It also showed the human element of Paul's character and the ease with which he could lean on friendship to get a favor for someone else. It reminds us that Christian ideals were first planted in human vessels.
These two letters are important for our understanding of the first Christian communities. Timothy was close to Paul because his whole family were converted by Paul. Timothy had been around Paul since he was a young boy. Paul sets him up as an "episkopos" or "overseer" after he left. Timothy was young for this responsibility and some of the people were ignoring him for this very reason.
Paul told him to stand on his own two feet and not to let anyone push him around. His authority was the authority of Paul who received his authority from Jesus Christ.
Paul's criteria for women would hardly meet the approval of women, today. However, these ideas were in force in the Roman world for many centuries and are still in force in the accepted law of the Church. There is no doubt that these ideas and rules have been frequently invoked against women in the Church. However, they were the opinion of only one man, Paul. Paul's ideas were not backed up by the example of Jesus in the gospels or his teaching. In fact, the women were the people who ran to the apostles with the message of the resurrection and got the men out of hiding. Women are presented as courageous and strong.
Second Timothy is Paul's "swan song." He knew he was soon to die. He knew he would be beheaded because he had claimed his rights as a Roman citizen and therefore could not be crucified.
Paul made three comparisons to bring out the meaning of the life of a follower of Jesus. A Christian is to be a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. As a soldier he must be obedient and ready to carry on the fight. As an athlete he must keep all the rules of the game if he wants to compete and win. As a farmer he has to toil but he should enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Paul also told us the reason why the Scriptures are valuable. He said all of scripture is "theopneustos," i.e. "breathed by God." It participated in the creative breath of God. Because of this inspiration, scripture is useful for teaching, refuting error, guiding people's lives, and teaching them how to be holy. Scriptures will equip a person fully for every good work.
Paul ended with the famous description of the outlook of a Christian at the moment of death. "I have fought the good fight, I have run the entire race, I have kept the faith. Therefore there is waiting for me the crown which is justice, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day." God rewards all who are faithful to him.
This is another letter in which Paul is advising one of his successors — a young man, a close friend and a bishop.
Paul described the qualities he should look for in anyone who was to be an elder or "presbyteros." He must be irreproachable, not arrogant or hot-tempered, not a heavy drinker or violent; good, moral, sensible, devout, self-controlled; he must have a firm grasp of the message and tradition so that he can explain the meaning and refute the errors.
The Christian should be noted for being courteous, polite, kind, loving, generous. If anyone disputed the official teaching, warn him twice, and then have nothing more to do with him.
The writings of Paul have a fund of practical wisdom that was needed in the first days and is just as necessary, today. God is known through actions of people. God guides people to recognize his true followers and to reject false leaders or prophets.
This letter to the Hebrews has raised many a question over the centuries. The teaching is clear and direct. The questions are: Who wrote it? Who were the intended audience? Why are these particular points being stressed so much? Was the author trying to instruct non-Christians, to bring back someone who had fallen, or simply trying to develop basic ideas further?
For a long time it was called simply another letter of St. Paul. However, early tradition did not agree with this, and so the claim to Pauline authorship was dropped. If it was not Paul, it certainly had to be someone who was well-known and thoroughly accepted by the whole community.
My own opinion is that the letter is a product of the Joannine community. The stress on the priesthood of Christ and the participation of his followers in that priesthood, fits well with the ideas of John.
Christ is greater than all the angels because his message announced everything that the Father wanted to say. Redemption was brought to us by Jesus Christ, not by the angels. Jesus was greater than Moses. Moses was a forerunner and he gave us the Old Law. Jesus gave us the fulfillment of what Moses had promised.
Jesus was the fulfillment of all priesthood. His priesthood went beyond even Abraham himself. Jesus was not merely the fulfillment of the levitical priesthood but went completely beyond it. The levitical priesthood was just a shadow. The priesthood of Jesus was the reality and the shadow must disappear. The priesthood of Jesus was the priesthood of the new and eternal covenant.
This letter should be read carefully and totally. The ideas stand out clearly in the words themselves. God is known through the teachings of Jesus.
James was referred to as a "brother of the Lord," a relative of Jesus. He is not thought to be one of the apostles. James clearly was a person of Jewish background and concerns.
The letter has had a varied history of acceptance. By the second century, it was clearly accepted into the official canon. It is often studied because of its explicit statement about the necessity of "good works" to establish the true faith in anyone's life. (2:14–16)
TEMPTATION (1:13–18): Temptation does not come from God but from our inner self or the world about us. God tempts no one. RELIGION (1:27): "Religion pure and undefiled in the eyes of God our Father is this: helping the orphans and widows in time of need, and keeping ourselves uncontaminated by the world." SOCIAL SEGREGATION (2:1–4): Don't judge by externals. Don't put the rich person above the poor person. Judge the person on his/her own worth.
FAITH AND GOOD WORKS: "Faith without good works is totally dead." 2:14–26. POWER OF THE TONGUE (3:1–12): "The tongue is only a small part of the body, but it can proudly claim that it does great things." PRAYER (4:1–3): "Why you don't have what you want is because you do not pray for it. Or if you do pray and don't get your answer, it is because you are not praying in the right way." PRAYER OVER THE SICK (5:13–18): "If one of you is ill, send for the elders of the church. They are to anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over him."
This first letter of the Bedrock, Kepha or Peter, is a marvelous memento of a great man. We know a lot about his character from the Gospel stories.
Peter was a forward, impetuous, outspoken man. He blurted out his ideas before he had time to think about them. Yet he was a natural leader. Jesus chose him as the foundation stone of his Church. Its unity, community and strength was to come from him. He was the first to protest his undying loyalty and the first to run and deny he had ever heard of Jesus. There is an ancient story told that he wept so often about his denial that there were furrows down the cheeks where his tears ran. There is another story that when it came time for him to be executed for his faith, he demanded that he be crucified upside down because he did not deserve to die as died his master. Suffice it to say that he died in 67 A.D., about 37 years after Jesus died. In those years he had established a strong Church — well on its way to win the world for Christ and his ideals.
In this first letter he described all Christians as a Royal Priesthood, a Consecrated Nation, a Chosen People. Our work is to spread the light that Jesus lighted. (2:4–10) The primary duty of every Christian is always to have ready an answer for the hope that is in him/her. (3:15) The love of Christians for each other must always be sincere and at full strength. This kind of love will cover over all sin. (4:8)
He described the ideal for the priests. They were to be shepherds of the flocks entrusted to them. They were to watch over their charges willingly because that was what God wanted. They were not to do their work simply because of money but eagerly. They were never to lord it over their charges but be an example that the whole flock can follow. (5:1–4) All Christians are to be calm and vigilant because their enemy, the devil, goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Stand firm and face him because this is happening to your brothers all over the world. (5:8–10)
The second letter is a shorter note and deals with a major problem that arose. There were false prophets or teachers who tried to win back the converts to the ways of paganism. Peter emphasized that this was not something new. They were to look back through the history of the chosen people and they would find false prophets and lying teachers at every major step of the way.
Christians should recognize the danger and equip themselves to withstand the temptation. The qualities or traits needed are: Faith, Goodness, Understanding, Self-Control, Patience, True Dedication, Kindness toward Each Other, and Love. This is a winning combination for any age.
According to the letters of Peter, God should be known through the priests who guide the faithful to follow the teachings of Jesus.
Now we have three works of John the Apostle who was also the author of the book, Revelation, and the source of the Fourth Gospel. The first of these three letters is a truly pastoral letter. The other two works are short notes of importance.
In this first letter, John was concerned with the great mystery or truth to be revealed by the lives of Christians individually and with each other in the midst of a world that hated them.
John stressed that Christians live in a world of darkness. This meant that the Light which was Christ did not shine in it. The Christians, by their sharing with each other and their example, were to dispel the darkness and turn the world into light.
Christians are not to love in mere words or empty talk. Their love is to be the foundation of their good conscience. If a person cannot be condemned by his/her own conscience, there is no need for fear in the presence of God. (1 J. 3:21)
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, because God is love. (1 J. 4:8) Anyone who says he loves God and hates his brother is a liar. For a man who does not love his brother whom he can see, cannot love God whom he has never seen. Therefore this is the commandment given to everyone: Anyone who loves God must also love his brother. (1 J. 4:20–21)
The letters, 2 John and 3 John, are short notes that reiterate what John had said more at length in the first letter and the Gospel.
God is the Light of the World.
This letter or note is concerned solely with false teachers. Some people have wondered why there were so many people eager to lead the Christians away from their faith. The answer is simple. The Romans made betrayal well worth their while, financially. The Romans saw the ideology of Jesus and his followers as totally opposed to their way of life. They had either to destroy the Christians and their ideals or see the Roman empire fold. It took about two and half centuries of persecution and death for the martyrs to make their point and win the Emperor himself over to Christ.
God recognizes true and false teachers.
This book, at the end of the New Testament, was always accepted as an authentic part of the New Testament. In the beginning it would have been easily understood by the Christians for whom John intended it. It was written in the apocalyptic or mysterious language of men like Ezechiel and Daniel. John meant to encourage and instruct the Christians without putting any evidence in the hands of the pagan leaders and persecutors.
The book has caused many a headache down through the centuries because people have tried to read more into it than was intended. They have tried to see it as applying to new situations as years went by. They tried to see it as a foretelling that these things would happen and to give an actual date for the end of the world. They have tried to prove from this writing that the world is going to end in an act of universal violence.
The only thing that is said about the end of the world in the whole of Revelation is that it will be a "Telos." This Greek word means "end" in the sense of "Completion." When the world is brought to the fulness which God planned for it, then a new and final phase of creation will begin. This fulness has to be brought about by the work of the human race.
God will be with us until this "telos," or until all things are complete.
Rather than give you a lengthy commentary on Revelation, I ask you to read it with first century Rome's glories and imitations in mind. It will make a lot of sense and the imagery will be self-explanatory.
The replies to "Who is God?" in the New Testament are as varied as in the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, God is king, good news, leader — as rock and as shepherd, father, lover, counselor, healer, forgiver, son, judge — to praise or reprimand, spirit of community, teacher. God is free of bias. God values all persons regardless of life's situation or gender or age. These qualities are described in the works of the New Testament — each book reflecting one of several qualities. We know of God whom we cannot see by observing persons whom we can see. This is an awesome responsibility — individually and collectively.
Both Old and New Testament are collections of writings over periods of time and by different people or groups of people. Both are written as Semitic history answering the question "why" rather than "when" or "how." Therefore, there is a comprehensive view of God from specific vantage points rather than a one photograph or biography.
The Old Testament presented a God who is Father: a provider of all basic tools (Genesis); a person who lays down basic law (Exodus); a person who details the rules & regulations of each day (Leviticus); a person who helps to pick up pieces once children see their mistakes (Numbers); a person who helps to start all over in a catastrophe (Deuteronomy); a person who helps in the first steps of a project (Joshua); a person who inspires leaders in time of need (Judges); a person who notices every good deed no matter how small (Ruth); a person who inspires and strengthens a wise counselor (1 & 2 Samuel); a person who believes in ambition if it is controlled (1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles). Each subsequent Old Testament book adds to this list.
In the New Testament, the gospels are the stories of a man (son) who absorbs all of his cultural and religious heritage, feels compelled to act to make the world a better place to live, and has the courage of his convictions. Other books of the New Testament add information about the communities that were trying to live in harmonious brotherhood within the existing societies.
It took the Hebrews centuries to go from many gods to only one god. The notion of god as father developed specifically in the prophets. The concept of son or child began to grow in the literature and was fully developed in the ideals, ideas and teachings of Jesus. When Jesus died, the followers received the "breath" or "spirit" that gave them courage to work and live with each other. This courageous respectful cooperation should unite people rather than divide them.
The Garden of Eden or Happiness in Genesis 1–3 is really not the beginning but the goal of human life.
Our understanding of "Who is God" will and should continue to develop.